Danny DeVito Plans To Return To Directing With 'Charlotte Doyle'

By
Simon Dang
|
The PlaylistSeptember 8, 2011 at 8:45AM

Danny DeVito's film career has hit somewhat of a pause for the last couple of years (presumably as a result of his commitment to FX comedy series "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"), but it looks as though he'll soon be returning in a big way with a directorial effort planned for the adaptation of author Avi's young-adult novel "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle."

Danny DeVito's film career has hit somewhat of a pause for the last couple of years (presumably as a result of his commitment to FX comedy series "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"), but it looks as though he'll soon be returning in a big way with a directorial effort planned for the adaptation of author Avi's young-adult novel "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle."

The actor-director already has two big names for the poster as well in Morgan Freeman and Pierce Brosnan, both attached to star as "the two lead adult characters" with DeVito "looking forward to casting Charlotte in what is an amazing role for a teenage actress."

The story follows the titular character, the young daughter of an aristocrat who has lived a very sheltered life. She sets out from Liverpool on a trans-Atlantic journey to her new home in America and finds herself the only passenger – and the only girl – on the Seahawk, a majestic ship under the command of Captain Jaggery. The tale is billed as a story of intrigue on the open sea.

As a fan of 'Sunny In Philadelphia,' this writer is more used to the idea of DeVito as a comedy actor, but there's a lot more to him than that -- we're picturing something geared for younger audiences like his '96 adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Matilda." Shooting is planned to begin in Ireland sometime in 2012 with Lori McCreary for Revelations Entertainment, Michele Weisler for Clear Black Films and Beau St.Clair for Irish DreamTime producing in association with Subotica Films. [THR]